The Foreign Service Journal, December 2007

DE C EMB E R 2 0 0 7 / F OR E I GN S E R V I C E J OU R N A L 57 A F S A N E W S Good News for Retired DS Agents Section 845 of the Pension Protection Act of 2006, which took effect Jan. 1, 2007, contains a provision that allows retired “public safety officers” to request that up to $3,000 be deducted from their annual pensions to pay for medical insurance and long-term- care insurance, thereby reducing their taxable income by that same amount. This significant money-saving option has been enjoyed by active-duty federal employees since 2000, but efforts by AFSA and others to get coverage expanded to all retirees have not yet suc- ceeded. The Office of Personnel Management recently ruled that the Civil Service Retirement System and the Federal Employees Retirement System are eligible plans under Section 845. After meeting with staff at OPM, AFSA contacted the State Department’s Retirement Office, which determined that the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability System and the Foreign Service Pension System are also eligible retirement plans under the PPA. The State Department will issue official guidance at some point. OPM explained in its benefits administration letter that retired pub- lic safety officers whose annuity payments include a direct pay- ment to a health insurance carrier may self-identify eligibility for, and self-report, the tax exclusion to the IRS. For retirees who are not former DS special agents, AFSA contin- ues to support legislation to permit all Foreign Service retirees to pay their health premiums on a pretax basis. The House bill is now before the Ways and Means Committee, which is an impor- tant step forward. This change could save the average retiree around $800 a year. But, because it would cost the government more than $12 billion in lost tax revenues over a 10-year period, quick adoption seems unlikely given pressures to limit non-defense related deficits. AFSA will keep you informed. For information on how this premium conversion option works, please see 2006 tax year IRS Publication 721, p. 15 (www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p721.pdf) . building, but don’t hide fromreality” ( State magazine, Feb. 2002). Former AFSA President John Limbert summed up AFSA’s desire to honor dis- senters this way: “We have always need- ed our dissenters, and we need themnow more than ever. AFSA believes that the courage toask ‘Why?’ or ‘Whynot?’ or sug- gest ideas that may be considered contro- versial or against popular wisdom is a true indication of loyalty — to our Service, to our oathof office, toour profession and to the values upon which our country was founded.” AFSAseeks tocontinue torecognizeand honor those who have demonstrated the initiative, integrity and intellectual courage to dissent on an issue that affects the work of the Foreign Service, but to do this by working within the system . The Constructive Dissent Awards are not for performance of assigned duties, however exceptional. Submissions that donotmeet the criteria of initiative, integrity and intel- lectual courage in constructive dissent, as determinedby our judges and theAwards &Plaques Committee, will not be consid- ered. Constructive Dissent Awards The Tex Harris Award , for a Foreign Service specialist; The W. Averell Harriman Award , for a junior officer (FS 6-4); The William R. Rivkin Award , for a mid-career officer (FS 3-1); and The Christian A. Herter Award , for a senior officer (FE OC-CA). Exemplary Performance Awards AFSA also offers three awards for exemplaryperformance of assignedor vol- untary duties at an overseas post that con- stitutes an extraordinary contribution to effectiveness, professionalismandmorale. These awards are: • The Delavan Award , for a Foreign Service office management specialist who hasmade a significant contribution topost or office effectiveness and morale beyond the framework of his or her job responsi- bilities; • The M. Juanita Guess Award , for a community liaison officer who has demonstratedoutstanding leadership, ded- ication, initiative or imagination in assist- ing the families of Americans serving at an overseas post; and • The Avis Bohlen Award , for a For- eignService familymemberwhose relations with the American and foreign commu- nities at post havedone themost toadvance the interests of the United States. All winners receive a monetary award of $2,500 anda framedcertificate. They are also honored at a reception in late June at the StateDepartment’s BenjaminFranklin Diplomatic Reception Room. The Secre- tary of State is invited to participate in the ceremony. Nomination Guidelines Nominations for all awards should be written in the following format: Part I — The name of the award for which the person is being nominated; the nominee’sname,grade,agencyandposition. Part II — The nominator’s name, grade, agency and position, and a descrip- tion of the association with the nominee. Part III — The justification for the nomination. This narrative shoulddiscuss the actions and qualities that the nomi- nator believes qualify the nominee for the award, giving specific examples of accom- plishments that fulfill the criteria stated in the previous paragraph. Part III should not exceed 700 words. Further details on nomination proce- dures, additional guidelines and a nomi- nation form can be found on the AFSA Web site at www.afsa.org/awards.cfm . From there, you can link to articles about the AFSA awards and find a comprehen- sive listing of past award winners. Please send questions to Barbara Berger, coordinator for professional issues, at berger@afsa.org , or call her at (202) 719- 9700. The deadline for submitting nomi- nations is Feb. 29, 2008. AFSA NEWS BRIEFS Awards • Continued from page 53